Step 5: I ain't got no body: the torso

Step 6: Now to learn to work this thing

So, with dummy on lap and my hand up the back of his jumper, it's now time to figure out how to throw my voice. I'll share that with you if I ever ge...

When I was young and growing up by the seaside, the highlight of every summer was going to see Uncle Percy, considered by those who know about such things to be one of the truly great Punch and Judy men, who did a summer season every year at Hastings.

I loved the Punch and Judy, but the highlight for me was always the ventriloquist act he did, and ever since I was very, very small I've dreamed of having my own dummy and transporting myself back to those long hot days.

The Christmas before last I decided that the time was right to listen to that little child's voice inside and start to make one, despite the protestations of my good lady wife.

The build stalled early in 2012, but spurred on by the discovery of this site (and not being able to find any other ventriloquist's dummies on here), I decided to resurrect him and share him with you all.

I decided from the outset to make him as far as possible from found or leftover materials, and the only things I have parted with money for are the wig, a tin of pink paint, two rubber hands, a bag of fake bloodshot eyeballs and three or four packs of epoxy putty tabs, all from the pound shop, meaning that my dream has been realised for well under a tenner.

Practically every part of him could have been put together using other materials, half the fun has been making use of stuff laying around, so if you fancy building one yourself I hope you'll let your imagination go and have as much fun as I've had putting this one together, and that you may find some of what follows useful.

I have no photos of the actual making of the head, but hopefully the diagrams and photos with pointy arrows I've put together will be clear enough to help you if you're tempted to make your own.